Russian Fighter Jets Escorted off Alaska After NORAD Scramble
On Thursday, Feb. 20, 2026, U. S. air defenses scrambled to intercept russian fighter jets and Russian bombers and a spy plane that were tracked off the western coast of Alaska near the Bering Strait, NORAD said.
Russian Fighter Jets escorted from Alaskan ADIZ
NORAD detected two Tu-95 bombers, two Su-35 fighter planes and an A-50 spy plane operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone and launched jets to escort them until they departed the zone, the command said. The aircraft did not enter U. S. or Canadian sovereign airspace, and NORAD described the activity in the Alaskan ADIZ as a regular occurrence that was not considered a threat.
NORAD launched fighters and tankers
The command launched two F-16s, two F-35s and four KC-135 tankers to intercept, identify and escort the Russian aircraft, and later posted photos of the aircraft as they were being escorted out of the area. The Alaskan ADIZ begins where U. S. and Canadian sovereign airspace ends and requires the ready identification of aircraft for national security, NORAD said.
Part of repeated activity near Alaska
NORAD noted the flight fits a pattern of prior operations near Alaska: in September 2025, fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Tu-95s and Su-35s in the Alaskan ADIZ; in August 2025, an IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted four times in one week; and in September 2024 NORAD posted a 15-second video showing a Russian fighter close to a NORAD aircraft in the ADIZ. In July 2024, Russian and Chinese bombers were intercepted after entering the Alaskan ADIZ, including the first encroachment by Chinese H-6 bombers off Alaska.
NORAD said the command employs a layered network of satellites, ground-based and airborne radars, and fighter aircraft to detect and track aircraft in the ADIZ and remains ready to employ a number of response options in defense of North America. NORAD also posted photos on Friday showing the Russian aircraft as they were escorted out of the Alaskan ADIZ.
the operation ended once the foreign aircraft had departed the Alaskan ADIZ. NORAD said it will continue routine surveillance and remain prepared to respond to future incursions into the zone.
